6 Seconds
by alec to the max
Summary: A seemingly normal day at Jam Pony takes a turn for the tragic. And it all happened in a few seconds. M/A  Pre Freak Nation.  Disclaimer, not my characters, not my universe, making nothing, all that jazz


6 seconds.

Jam Pony was a hive of activity with people marching about the place with an air of importance and urgency. Of course these people were merely urgent to get to the building across the road that had apparently been busted as an illegal distillery earlier that day. The rumor had spread quickly that the distillers had managed to stash a case of the acrid alcohol behind a dumpster before being taken away by the Sector Police. Anyone in Jam Pony not running, clearly had either not heard the rumor or had the sense not to think such a thing was true and not the fabrication of corrupt police looking for citizens to bribe. There was of course no law forbidding citizens of any sector of Seattle from taking disregarded goods from behind a dumpster, legal or not. However the majority of the public did not know this. There were of course two inhabitants of the building who were well aware of the untruth of this rumor, as they would surely have been well aware of any such activities going on so close by. They would have smelt the alcohol clearly, their transgenic senses finely tuned to such abnormal smells.

Max was standing on the balcony in the building overlooking the goings on. She surveyed the scene below, hawk like. Noticing that anyone who was not scrambling to find the alcoholic treasure was toddling along at a very leisurely pace, oblivious to and unperturbed by Normal's "bip bip bips". Max could see Alec sitting on a bench by the lockers in animated conversation with Sketchy and Original Cindy. His handsome face lit up in a brilliant smile flashing perfect white teeth. His eyes crinkled, testimony to the honesty behind that smile. Things had been good lately. Alec still wasn't completely happy about the whole 'fake dating' thing. But in the end had agreed to sacrifice his image in Logan's eyes for Max.

Max felt an unusual flush of warm emotions for the sandy haired man who had recently become a much larger part of her life. They had been spending more time together, at work, on the transgenic front and also simply in a social context. They had been drinking together in the evenings till late in the night, when they would race their bikes together. Sitting together atop the Needle had become something of a regular past time for the pair, and Max had long gotten over any feelings of resentment for his intrusion. In fact, she enjoyed his presence.

As if sensing her gaze he glanced up and looked directly at her. He seemed surprised for a second then the wide smile lit his face again. Max was helpless but to answer with a genuine smile of her own. In the moment that their eyes met Max felt a strange sense of knowledge, a worldliness and clarity of mind that made her somehow be certain that anything that occurred to her in this moment would be accurate. Alec turned back to answer a question Cindy had asked him twice, it was odd that he had been so distracted Max thought idly.

Max's brow furrowed as another, very different but equally odd feeling washed over her. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And she seemed to innately know that whatever was about to happen was beyond her control. She was immersed in a terrible sensation of foreboding and utter desolation. Her eyes did not scan the room the way all her training and life experience was screaming at her to do. Instead she listened to the inner command and her eyes swept directly to the little used side door of Jam Pony. What she saw confirmed all her fears. Despite the bright light that silhouetted the three figures entering the building her transgenic sight could clearly make out the faces of the suit-clad men. Her body as an automatic response tensed, ready to flee but her quick mind ran some calculations quickly and she realized that Ames White had not seen her, and his eyes were locked on something on the lower level. Max, watched, helpless as he reached for the gun at his hip. A pale hand clasped the black handgun as the other hand curled over the top and puled the slide back. A shocking realization occurred to Max as she located White's target, the oblivious transgenic sitting with his back turned to the door, leaning forward, head ducked looking for an object in his messenger's bag.

"ALEC!" Max screamed across the room. At her yell, every person in the room looked to her and then started scanning the room looking for the bearer of the name she had called. But all Max could do was watch helplessly as White's long and sure strides carried him rapidly across the short distance between him and Alec. White raised his arm as he walked, aiming directly at Alec's head. At Max's scream he raised his head, saw Max and a second latter followed Max's gaze, looking up into the cold black barrel of the glock pointed directly at his head. In a move faster then any blur Max had ever seen he threw away the bag, stood and turned.

BANG

BANG

BANG

The sound reverberated around the space in a painful way. The cold, quick and brutal attack had been witnessed by all. But there stood Alec, facing the man in the suit. Alec glanced down at his chest, eyes constricting in pain. The broad expanse of his perfect chest was marred by three neat little holes leaking blood down the front of his leather jacket. Original Cindy and Sketchy who stood behind him saw the three gapping and grotesque holes in his back and the messy matching holes in the locker behind them. Blood was gushing from his body now, at a rate that made him woozy and the corners of his vision folded in just a little.

In that moment a cool determination pierced through the pain and haze and Alec knew that he had mere moments to act. As he swayed he put all his effort and focus into falling into White. A fraction of a second before he impacted with the Familiar's chest he twisted the gun from his hand, snapping the radius leaving the arm hanging in a contorted and altogether incorrect direction. White was frozen in a moment of shock. It had all happened so fast, a tip that a transgenic, X5-494 to be precise was employed at this filthy place, and within seconds of entering the building he had killed the target. But more shocking was the fact that the dead man appeared to be standing face to face with him. He had intended a head shot, but White had been sickeningly lucky because even though the transgenic had had time to stand up, causing the head shot to miss its mark, he had stood in a way that placed his chest directly in the line of fire. The bullet in his left chest must have been so very close to his heart. Yet here he stood.

Alec's heart fluttered alarmingly, sending a new wave of weakness and clouded vision again. He reached his left hand around the back of White's neck for support. With his right hand, which was now holding the gun, he snaked it around White's left side. Alec aimed the gun neatly at each of White's lackeys in turn putting a bullet cleanly into their heads in turn. The men barely got their hands on their own guns before they were dead, hitting the ground less then a second apart.

Alec dropped the gun, it fell with a metallic clunk and rattle on the concrete floor. The sound echoed through the utter silence that was left in the wake of the gunshots, no one had time to react, to move in the slightest. Alec gripped the hair of the right side of White's face and wrapped his right hand around the back of the other man's head. He pulled their faces close together and for an immeasurable moment they looked into each others eyes and for the first time Ames White's eyes widened in fear. Alec smirked.

"Fuck you." He said coldly through gritted teeth and in one deft twist and a defined 'crack' he snapped the man's neck letting his limp body fall to the ground at his feet.

With the support of another body gone Alec staggered backwards.

"ALEC…" Max called again, a fierce urgency in her tone. She vaulted the railing of the balcony and hit the floor with her customary cat like elegance and grace as she saw Alec topple and fall forwards. Abandoning all concern of exposure she blurred across the room and slid to her knees catching his full weight in her arms moments before he hit the ground. He drooped backwards, weight half supported on his own legs that were folded beneath him and half supported by Max. She clutched him to her tightly. His lids dropped but flashed to her face strangely curious about what had halted his momentum. The shadow of a smile graced his features.

"Max." he whispered. She clasped her hands around his face and noticed the brimming tears in his eyes.

"Alec," she squeaked, "c'mon, lets get you out of here…need a medic." She made to lift his weight, tugging at him to rise. She caressed his cheeks with her thumbs, the stubble prickling under her touch. "You'll be fine, let's jus' get you to a doctor."

"Max." He muttered in a confused mingle of utter desolation and cheeky excitement. "I killed the fucker Max." And he grinned at her, the stupid git actually grinned, the hearty ear slitting soul melting smile he had flashed her just moments before. It had been mere seconds ago that he had smiled at he up on the balcony, seconds.

A single tear slipped from Max's eye dashing down her cheek and dropping off the end of her face vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, almost like a secret. If Alec had not seen it in that instant he would never have known it existed. And it mattered so much to him that he knew it existed.

Their eyes met and locked, and for a serene moment Alec felt as though he had seen the beginning and the end of time. Like he had seen everything and it rendered him all-knowing and infallible. It all made sense to him in that moment, that it was always going to end this way, too late, not leaving him enough time. Death was never in his power and only in this moment of surrender to it could he understand. He felt a queer warmness emanating from within and seeping into his skin. He wondered briefly what that feeling was.

"Alec, we have to… we need to…" She tugged at him again, in a vain attempt to get his malfunctioning body to rise. He winched and looked down then at his chest, Max's gaze followed his. There she saw the three, now gapping, holes leaking blood in gushed down his body to a pool on the concrete floor. The pool was rapidly getting larger, spreading out from them. It seeped into the denim of his jeans and shirt, it felt warm and sticky against his skin. He now understood the queer warmness he had felt. The full and devastating effect of his wounds refreshed themselves in his mind, and in Max's. The moment the bullets had ripped through his flesh and organs he had of course known but the adrenalin had carried him through it, pushing the pain and weakness to the back of his mind. He could feel the blood pouring directly from the leak in his heart, filling his chest cavity with yet more blood.

"Max," he said commanding all the power of a caring superior, "Maxie, look at me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm done. There is nothing to do."

"Yes you are!" she growled through clenched teeth, not appreciative of the condescension. "Now get up." Her voice broke and tears sprung free, streaming down her face. 'God damn it you fucking moron. You are going to be FINE!" She said it as though she could command him to be okay through sheer determination.

"I'm sorry." He sincerely apologized. It was a ridiculous notion, to apologize for dying, but it was all he could think to give. He reached for her face, new rivulets of blood pouring from him at the effort. They both smelt the new blood. He stared into her eyes, into her soul and he reached the back of a finger under her eye, wiping tears away leaving a thin streak or red blood. "Don't cry Maxie, look on the bright side, I'll finally be out of your hair."

"Stop it." She said abruptly. "Don't you dare talk like that". She seemed to hesitate, checking her words carefully, and then she came to a decision. "I need you."

"You'll do fine without me. You can look after the others without me" His voice faltered a bit.

"No," she interrupted, "I mean, I don't want you to leave me." She closed her eyes tightly overwhelmed by agony. More tears streamed down her face.

"Don't tell me that now Maxie. Not when it's too late for me to change anything." He mirrored her action, face contorting I pain. Agony unassociated with the trails the lead had ripped through his fragile body. His face was streaked with tears as well and the blood gurgled cruelly in his lungs.

The pair was unaware of the twenty odd onlookers unable to tear their eyes from the scene. A normal day had turned so completely into the most shocking thing any of them had ever seen. First a sudden, brutal and unprovoked attack on one of their own, a favorite of most. Then the superhuman demonstration of reflexes, skill and endurance through injury that Alec had performed, not to mention the swift assassins skill that allowed him to kill three men in less then 6 seconds. Then Max's equally superhuman sprint across the room. And the undeniable implication that this left them all with, Max and Alec were transgenics. And now, Alec, was dying.

"Don't tell me that now."

"Alec, I need you, for me to… I want you to stay…Please, don't go. Please."

Alec smiled at her, "Maxie"

"Please Alec, I've never realized, I need you, don't leave, God. I'm so sorry, I tried to do something, but it was all to quick. Please god. Please…"

"Maxie." He stopped her, caressed her cheek with one hand, fingers grazing her ear and with the other he stroked her hair at the back of her head. "I love you."

Her face squeezed itself together and a new wave of sobs overwhelmed her, wracking her body as if in the wraps of a seizure. Yet her heart soared, one large part of her was ecstatically happy even despite the looming tragedy. It seemed oddly fitting with the rest of her life, to hear those words, to find something that made her this truly happy only to have the one who spoke the words ripped away from her moments latter. As if to articulate this point Alec coughed, choking on his own blood. A little dribble leaked from his lips, staining his mouth scarlet red.

Max grabbed his face more fiercely, eyes wide in panic. Alec's eyelids fluttered and he didn't breath for several beats too long. He could feel his heart flutter even more erratically, and had to remind himself consciously to breath, struggling past the thick red obstruction in his lungs and throat. It frightened him.

"I love you Maxie." He stated again with a deep softness and heartfelt passion. This time Max held her composure better.

"I…I…I think…I, love you too." She smiled again and it dazzled Alec completely, she shone like an angle, no, more like life itself. Even with her tear streaked face and blood-stained body he felt in that moment that he had witnessed the meaning of life. That smile, those words. Max pushed her head forward towards him and pressed her forehead against his. They closed their eyes and breathed together. The blood was so think in the air they could taste it's metallic tang. Hell, the humans in the room could taste it; there was just so much blood.

"Maxie, I'm scared, I don't want to go. I can't leave you." She pulled away an inch staring into his face. He looked so soft and frightened. Yet still phenomenally beautiful, his eyes still sparkled their hazel flecks only illuminated by the tears that filled them. His lashed darkened with moisture framed his eyes articulating the emotion.

"Then don't." she sobbed.

"I'm sorry." His voice broke, on the verge of breaking down entirely. And that weak fluttery heart that was failing him made itself known again with a sickening lurch. His vision had reduced itself to a small circle of clarity that nicely surrounded Max's face, the rest was a foggy white.

"Alec...just remember something will you? Remember, I love you."

"Like I could forget a single moment I was ever with you Maxie."

"Alec." She closed her eyes again and hugged him to her a fiercely as she could. She felt the warm wetness of his blood soak her clothes completely. Then the new gushes of blood seemed to slow. For a shinning moment Max imagined that his body was miraculously healing, but then her logical brain told her the real truth. Alec was dying. She looked into his eyes, not wanting to miss a moment. They were clouded with fear and loss, but when her eyes met Alec's eyes they cleared and looked happy and beautiful again. She realized that while he couldn't see her, he could not know she was there, he couldn't feel his body anymore. With their eyes locked she leant forward and placed her lips forcefully on his. She tasted blood but was far more aware of the lightning bolts shooting through her body. It felt so right. This was where she belonged, where she should have been all her adult life and where she ought to have been forevermore. Alec moved his lips feebly, his heart soaring, he was almost okay with dying, the thing that tore him apart was that he would not get to stay here in this moment, he could feel himself being tugged away, that damn heart refused to keep beating.

Max felt Alec's lips curl into a smile under her own and she gripped him possessively as though she could hold him with her with physical strength

But she felt his muscles stiffen and go rigid, then limp. And she felt the hiss of his last breath escape his lips. She inhaled, taking the air that Alec exhaled into her next breath. It was a pathetic comfort, but something she thought might mean something one day. That she had taken the last part of Alec's life into her own body. Perhaps he could stay with her in that way.

She held him close and wailed, a piercing and devastating cry that showed only a fraction of her anguish. She pulled away and balanced the limp form in her arms. Max saw into the still, vacant and dead eyes of Alec, they did not sparkle anymore. She would never get to see those perfect eyes again. A wracking sob escaped her and she was overcome with grief, she wanted to die too. But she wouldn't, she would go on, but she doubted she would ever be properly alive again. She held Alec's limp body to her own and crooned to him, as though she was comforting him rather then herself. She felt that coldness within grow and she wondered idly if it would ever melt.

Then Max felt a searing heat on her cheek and lips that seemed to come from within and one single thought bounced around her head, ricocheting off the walls of her mind, "I love you Maxie."


End file.
